The Big Reveal: Am I Fluent after my 4-year Degree?

I’m guessing this is a question that’s crossed a lot of people’s minds at some point when considering studying a Languages degree. What level of fluency will I reach? How different will A-level language learning be to university-level? And para ir al grano, what will be my reward for my yearly £9000+ investment, dime por favor?

Well, I can tell you that at the end of my final year, I could hold a serious debate about accentism faced by members of Spanish society, deliver a nuanced presentation about the sustainability of tourism in Italy and write a balanced reflective report about the complex political situation in an overseas French colony. Because of abilities like this, I would claim to possess a C1 level in my two post A-level languages and a B2 level in my beginner’s language in the CEFR Language proficiency framework, as Warwick suggests can be expected at the end of our degree.

But does this ‘fluency’ mean I can roll off an extensive list of the names of varieties of trees in Spanish? Or translate each variety of fish on an Italian menu? Or just be 100% guaranteed to get a score of dix sur dix on a test on French verbal prepositions? Well, uh, (however much the last one is a sore spot), no.

So where does that leave me? Can I still claim to be fluent? Or should I hand in my formal resignation to the CEFR authorities for my crimes against language learning?

Well, instead of leaving you with one word or one number on some arbitrary scale, I’m going to explain exactly what kind of fluency I’ve acquired, and more importantly, what amazing skills I’ve gained!

1. The ability to converse on a multitude of topics with anyone. While getting a better insight into a variety of cultures is an integral part of our degree, I don’t think any of my cohort can claim to be permanently up to date with all the news in the countries where their language is spoken. (And that’s even assuming you accept the million cookies to read pretty much any Spanish news website.) However, I do feel very confident being able to inform myself about a particular complex topic and then express a sophisticated and nuanced point of view. Whether it’s in a form of debate, presentation or written piece, being able to argue and articulate yourself coherently and clearly is needed for most high-level jobs — and certainly a skill that three or four years studying Modern Languages at Warwick will enhance!

2. The ability to use Foreign languages in a variety of styles and registers. Never in my life did I imagine I’d have the skills to not just write extended essays in languages but also to create marketing brochures, translate subtitles, record podcasts, craft argumentative texts, and design creative story endings! To be able to employ metaphors, idioms and colloquial language in informal pieces and also switch it up to high calibre vocabulary, subtle irony and complex grammatical structures (that even native speakers mess up on) in formal reports. This flexibility of language skills has been what I’ve loved most about the course, and I feel so lucky to have benefited from the Language teaching at Warwick that makes this possible!

3. The ability and confidence to make mistakes and actually value them. Despite all the above, the most important skill I’m proud to have achieved across my degree relates, perhaps paradoxically, to my flaws. This is the main lack of understanding some people might have about a Modern Languages degree: that yes, by the end of it, you still make mistakes. A fair few. So if you were hoping to finish your degree with the accuracy and speed of an AI robot that not even all natives can match (try asking a native French speaker for a definitive list of which contexts require use of the subjunctive) mi dispiace, but that is probably not going to happen. And actually, I think it’s good if doesn’t: because the skills you learn to deal with mistakes are worth so much more. Your primary school teacher probably told you this a million times, and they were right: mistakes are made to be learned from. However, differently to my experience at secondary school where I nevertheless tried at all costs to avoid making mistakes (GCSE struggles), they now don’t really bother me! During your degree you learn how to self-identify and improve your weak areas, and how to self-correct spontaneous mistakes. How to seek alternative means of communicating a message and how to keep calm and always carry on! You build the confidence and resilience to ask for clarifications, repetitions, reformulations, or whatever’s necessary to keep the flow of conversation, and to hold your own in an oral exam when faced with unfamiliar situations. And ultimately, the confidence to travel, communicate with locals, and even make new friends using exclusively the target language, armed with your intercultural awareness and communication competencies. All these skills are pertinent to personal and professional development in multiple fields; they’re tools that even AI can’t replace you with — and they’re all part of a Modern Languages degree.

Overall, looking forward, while I may use terms like ‘fluent’ or quote levels on the CEFR framework on job applications, when I’m looking back on my degree, all I want to focus on are the incredible real-life skills it’s given me. And trust me, they’re worth their weight in gold.